What Happened in October?

The Treaty of Calais is signed, ending the first phase of the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

Henry IV of England is crowned as King of England, after deposing his cousin Richard II on September 30, 1399, marking the beginning of the Lancastrian dynasty.

The Battle of Agincourt takes place during the Hundred Years' War, resulting in a significant English victory over the French.

The Yongle Emperor of China moves the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, initiating the construction of the Forbidden City.

The Siege of Orléans by the English during the Hundred Years' War with France, begins (October 12, 1428 – May 8,1429), marking a turning point in the conflict. The siege took place at the peak of English power during the later stages of the war, but was repulsed by French forces inspired by the arrival of Joan of Arc.

The Congress of Arras is held, aiming to negotiate peace during the Hundred Years' War.

Gilles de Rais, the Breton nobleman, knight and lord from Brittany, Anjou and Poitou and a leader in the French army during the Hundred Years' is executed after being found guilty ofr crimes including heresy and confessed murder of more than a hundred children. More

The Second Battle of Kosovo takes place between a Hungarian-led Crusader army and the Ottoman Empire at Kosovo field. The three-day battle resulted In the Ottoman army under the command of Sultan Murad II defeating the Crusader army of regent John Hunyadi.  Expand +

The Hundred Years' War comes to an end with the recapture of Bordeaux by the French, reclaiming their last possession in the conflict.

The Second Peace of Thorn, also known as the Treaty of Toruń, is signed, ending the Thirteen Years' War and defining the borders between the Teutonic Knights and Poland-Lithuania. Poland gained direct sovereignty over the Teutonic Order's western territories in Prussia, including West Prussia and the Kulmerland, which became Royal Prussia. In return, the eastern territories of the Order remained as a vassal state.

Ferdinand of Aragon marries Isabella of Castile. The united kingdoms became the basis for the unification of Spain. In 1478, the Spanish Inquisition was introduced, a brutal force of control in Spanish society. In 1492, the reconquest of Granada from the Moors was completed, and the crown ordered all Spanish Jews to convert to Christianity or face expulsion from Spain. Expand +

King Edward IV of England returns from exile, reclaiming the throne during the Wars of the Roses.

Ivan III of Russia launches the Great Stand on the Ugra River, halting the advance of the Golden Horde.

Henry Tudor, is officially crowned King of England as Henry VII. He had secured his claim after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22 of the same year. The event marked the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. During his reign, he ended the Wars of the Roses, and increased the power of England by building alliances through his children's marriages and the signing of treaties.

The Malleus Maleficarum, a treatise on witchcraft, is first published in Germany.

Seventy days after departing from Spain on August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew make landfall in the present day Bahamas archipelago on an island he names San Salvador, marking the European discovery of the Americas. Expand +

The Alhambra Decree is issued by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, ordering the expulsion of Jews from the country.

Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I dies in captivity, leading to the Ottoman Interregnum and subsequent rise of Selim I.

Christopher Columbus sets sail on his fourth and final voyage to the Americas.

Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses against papal indulgences, or the atonement of sins through monetary payment, on the door of the church at Wittenberg, Germany. Within less than four years, the Catholic Church would brand Luther a heretic, and the Holy Roman Empire would condemn him as an outlaw.  Expand +